Hello Brooklyn
by xsmokeandmirrors
Summary: Brooke Freeman is a WWE Diva who just wants to be on TV. When she is approached about joining a new reality show - Total Divas - she doesn't even have to think twice. But when past secrets start creeping up, and a certain Long Island native enters her life, will she be able to take control of her life?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm reposting this chapter because it didn't turn out right. Thank you, AnimeJunkieGrrl for letting me know it looked so weird! You should be able to read it now. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Brooke. Everyone else belongs to themselves or the WWE.**

* * *

Brooke wandered aimlessly around backstage.

She wanted to go to the Divas locker room, but knew if she did, all she would hear was complaining from almost everyone. She wanted to be on TV as much as anyone, but she knew complaining wasn't the answer.

Eventually, she decided she might as well head there and put on her ring gear, in hopes that she was scheduled for a match.

It only took a few minutes to reach the locker room, but when she got there, she wished she hadn't. The moment the door opened, everyone whipped their heads toward her and glared.

She walked to the back of the room, where the two Divas not glaring at her were standing.

"Why is everyone glaring at me?" Brooke asked, confused.

"Honey, they're just jealous that you have a match tonight and they don't," Natalya explained.

Brooke's eyes widened. "I-I have a match?"

Nattie smiled. "That's right, and it's against - "

"Me."

Brooke turned around to look at the other Diva who wasn't glaring at her.

"I'm going against the Divas Champion?" Brooke asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yep," AJ says, smiling. "You win, too, because Kaitlyn comes out to distract me."

"Oh, wow, that's awesome," Brooke said, incredulously. "I can't believe I get to wrestle the champ. I've wanted this for a while, so I'm excited."

AJ smiles. "I'll see you in the ring."

Brooke quickly puts on her ring gear and walks out of the room, heading to the GM's office. She knocked on the door, and heard, "Come in!" She opened the door to find Vickie Guerrero and Brad Maddox talking.

"Hi," She says, softly, smiling.

They stop talking and look at her. "Hey, Brooke," Brad says.

"I just wanted to thank you for giving me a match tonight."

"Actually," Vickie says. "It was my idea. I had planned for it to be on SmackDown, but Vince wanted AJ vs. Kaitlyn again, so I convinced Brad to schedule it for tonight."

"Well, thanks," Brooke says. "I'm glad I have a match. I can show off my new ring gear. I've had it for weeks, but haven't had a match."

"You look great," Vickie gushes.

"Thanks!" Brooke says. "Well, I have to go. I'll see you on SmackDown!"

She exited the office and headed to Gorilla, but when she was halfway there, a crash stopped her. She walked faster down the hallway, where she found the source of the noise.

"Zack?"

Zack Ryder looked up from a knocked over stack of crates, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh, hey Brooke..." He says, blushing slightly.

"What's wrong?" She asks, frowning.

"I had a dark match and lost!" He says, sighing. "I'd be okay if it was on TV, but it wasn't. I lost and it wasn't even on TV!"

"Well, it couldn't have been that bad," She says.

"I lost to Sin Cara."

"Oh..." She says. "When was your last match?"

"At a house show on Saturday," He says. "I didn't win then, either."

"At least you had a match..." She mumbles. "Hey, Zack, I actually have a match tonight, so I'll see you later."

She walks by him, frowning, and heads to Gorilla, where she finds AJ and Big E Langston. AJ sees her disappointed face and gives her a reassuring smile. Her music plays, so she skips out to the ring, the arena filling with boos.

Brooke's music plays next.

 _"FIGHT!_

 _You're afraid,_

 _Like I make my deals with the devil._

 _You've been at it for years,_

 _But couldn't reach that next level!_

 _Let's keep it real,_

 _This is no competition to me!_

 _Even if everyone around you acts like they don't see!"_

"Making her way to the ring, from Detroit, Michigan: Brooklyn!"

Brooke gets in the ring, headbangs to the song, gets on the top turnbuckle, and puts up some peace signs with her hands.

AJ rolls her eyes and smirks. Brooke smiles deviously and the bell rings.


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to mention that this story is named after _Hello Brooklyn_ by All Time Low. And Brooke's theme is _2nd Sucks_ by A Day to Remember. The chapters are kind of short because I wrote them all on my phone, so I had no way of knowing how long they are. :-/**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one but Brooke. Everyone else belongs to themselves or the WWE.**

* * *

Brooke was backstage, after her match with AJ, which, as planned, was interrupted by Kaitlyn. She was now heading to the Divas locker room.

"Brooke!"

She stopped, turned around, and saw Zack practically running after her. She lets out a small laugh.

"What is it, Zack?" She asks.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier," He says. "I wasn't trying to offend you or anything."

Brooke smiles. "It's fine. I was just in a bad mood; you just brought up the wrong things to talk about."

He rubs the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly. "Yeah...Well, I was about to head back to the hotel, and I wanted to know if you need a ride."

She grins. "That'd be awesome. Let me go get dressed and we can go."

Brooke walks to the Divas locker room, leaving Zack to smile and walk away.

Once in the locker room, she was met with glares. Sighing, she walks over to her locker.

"Why is everyone glaring at me now?" She asks, rolling her eyes.

"Well...Vince wants to talk to you," Natalya says, nervously.

Brooke frowns. "Why?"

"I don't know," Nattie confesses. "But one of the stagehands just dropped by and he said it's urgent."

Brooke groans. "Fine. I'll get dressed then go."

Once dressed, Brooke walked nervously to Vince McMahon's office. If Vince called you to his office, it either meant you getting promoted or fired. Which one was about to happen, Brooke didn't know.

When she reached the office, she knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Vince boomed.

Brooke opened the door, and saw Vince behind his desk, along with a man she didn't recognize, sitting next to him.

She took a seat across from them.

"Am I in trouble?" She asks, nervously and confused.

Vince chuckles. "Of course not. You're one of my best Divas. Now, I called you in here to talk to my friend here."

The man sitting next to him smiles. "My name is Jon Murray. Brooke, right?" She nods. "Well, I work for E! and I have a new reality show in need of some...Divas."

"I'm listening," She says, leaning forward.

"It's called Total Divas," He explains. "It will document the lives of a few Divas here. I'd like to offer you a spot on the show."

Her eyes widen. "That sounds amazing." Her eyes flicker to Vince, but she quickly looks back to Jon. "Will it interfere with my job in the WWE?"

"That's the thing. We're going to film your job, as well as what goes on backstage and in your personal life."

She thinks it over for a minute, then says, "Alright. I'll do it."

"Great!" Jon says. "We'll start filming next week."

"I'll be ready," She says, smiling.

Jon and Brooke exchange information, then Brooke says her goodbyes. As she walked down the hall, she ran into a very nervous Natalya.

"What's wrong, Nattie?" Brooke asked, worried.

"I just got called to Vince's office," She says. "Do you have any idea why?"

"If I'm right, you have nothing to worry about." She smiles. "I promise."

"Okay..." Nattie says, skeptically.

She and Brooke head their separate ways. Brooke finally finds Zack, who looks confused and worried.

"Hey, Brooke," He says. "I thought you were just getting dressed."

"Sorry..." She says, softly. "I...was talking to Vince. I was told it was urgent."

Zack goes from confused to panicked. "Is everything okay?"

She laughs. "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm gonna be on a new reality show."

"Oh, that's great!" He says, smiling.

"I know, right?"

"Now c'mon," He says. "We should get going."

She involuntarily yawns. She gives a small smile. "I think you're right."

He smirks. "Of course I'm right."

She rolls her eyes as she follows him to his car. She gets in the passenger seat as Zack gets in the driver's seat. When the car turns on, the radio turns on shortly after. Brooke frowns.

"Is something wrong?" Zack asks, trying to be worried, but mostly just amused by her face.

"It's...Justin Bieber," She says.

He nods. "Yeah, it is. Is something wrong?"

"Can we just...turn the radio off?" She asks.

He reaches over and turns it off. "Better now?"

"Yeah..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Starting in this chapter, anything in italics is Brooke's confessional on _Total Divas._ Later in the story, if there's bold _and_ italics, that's texting. Just for future reference.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one in this chapter except Brooke, Tyler, and Kyle. Everyone else belongs to the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke woke up the next morning, but made no move to get up.

She glanced over at the other bed in the room. It was empty.

Eve Torres had been her roommate and traveling partner, but ever since she left the WWE, Brooke had been by herself.

She and Eve didn't talk much, but they had an understanding, which made any silence between them not awkward or uncomfortable.

Normally, she got a room with just one bed. Sometimes, much like this time, the hotel would accidentally give her a room with two beds, but she didn't mind.

Finally, Brooke stood up and got out of bed. She went into the bathroom and took a shower, then proceeded to get dressed. She brushed and straightened her hair.

When she was done, she looked in the mirror. She had stopped wearing makeup long ago, since she had no one to impress. She only wore makeup when she was on TV, which was rare.

She left the bathroom and went to find an elevator to take her to the lobby.

She planned to eat breakfast, go workout, then start heading for the next city. As the elevator reached the second floor, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Hello, Brooke. It's Vince."

"Hi Vince," She says. "Is something wrong?"

He chuckles. "No, nothing's wrong. Do you have time to come down to my office before you leave?"

"Absolutely," She says. "What is this about?"

"I just need you to sign a few things concerning the new reality show," He says. "It shouldn't take long. And once you're in the next city, you'll have a photoshoot with the other Divas in the show. Promotional stuff."

"Okay," She says, stepping off the elevator as the doors open. "I think I can handle that."

"Great," He says. "I knew I could count on you."

The next day, Brooke arrived at the arena, nervous as to what was about to happen.

She had gotten all the information she needed yesterday after meeting with Vince. She was currently in a dress and heels, which she never wore, for the photoshoot.

When she found the room she was told to meet everyone in, she saw the only other person there was Nattie.

When Brooke walked in, she looked up from her phone and smiled.

"Brooke!" She exclaims. "You're in a dress!"

She laughs. "I know! I feel so uncomfortable."

"Well, you look great," She says, smiling.

"Thanks."

At that moment, Ariane and Trinity (Cameron and Naomi) walked in, laughing and talking. They stopped when they saw Brooke and Nattie, and Ariane smiled.

"Brooke!" She exclaims. "I've always wanted to talk to you, but I always kinda got this vibe from you that you wanted to be alone. But now we're on a show together and we can be besties!"

"Sorry about her," Trinity says. "She's kinda crazy."

"Oh, girl, no you didn't!" Ariane says, turning to look at her. "I am not crazy!"

"I said kinda crazy," She says.

The Funkadactyls argue as Brooke and Nattie roll their eyes.

Soon, Nikki and Brie Bella, Eva Marie, and JoJo arrive, so they start taking pictures. Once they're done, Jon, the producer, talks to them.

"Since you're all here, we wanted to film you guys. Nothing much, we just want some background info on you," He explains. "Then you'll be done here, and we'll have some cameras follow you around. This is just so you can get the feel of them, then they'll be permanently on you next week."

Each of the Divas take turns filming something in a different room, and soon it's Brooke's turn.

 _"My name is Brooke Freeman, but you probably know me by my ring name, Brooklyn. I debuted in 2008, and I eventually held the Divas Championship in 2010. I've been trying to win it back ever since._

 _I'm currently single. My last relationship... Well, it ended badly, let's just say that. I'm not really looking for a guy right now. And that's all you need to know about me."_

Brooke gets up and leaves. She goes to the room where they had the photoshoot, as Eva Marie walks out of the room.

"Hey, Brooke." She turns around to look at Jon, her eyebrows raised. Two men stood next to him. "This is Kyle and Tyler. They'll be the cameramen following you around the next few days. Then they'll become your personal cameramen."

"Awesome." She smiles. Jon nods and walks away. "Hey guys. I'm Brooke."

A guy with short brown hair says, "I'm Kyle."

"I'm Tyler," The other one, a guy with blonde hair, says. "I know exactly who you are, Brooke. You're my favorite Diva!"

She blushes. "Really? Thanks."

"Sorry, but I don't watch wrestling," Kyle says.

"I don't have to worry about you fangirling then, like Tyler here," She says, laughing. "And I'm sorry. I actually have a very boring life, so it won't be much fun to film."

"It's fine," Tyler says. "You can't be that bad."

"Come on," Kyle says. "Let's go to your hotel room."

On the way to the hotel, Brooke learned about the people who were hired to follow her. Kyle and Tyler met in film school, where they were roommates and eventually became best friends. They were currently writing a movie. Kyle wants to produce it, and Tyler wants to direct it.

Once they reached the hotel and got out of the car, Brooke said, "Wow, you guys have a much more interesting life than me!"

Tyler laughed. "Yeah, sure. You get to travel the world! How is your life not interesting?"

They reached the lobby, where Brooke led them to the front desk. She asked for her room key then led the two cameramen to her room.

They got there and she unlocked the door, leading them into her room.

Brooke frowns. "That's weird. There are two beds. I don't have a traveling partner." She turns to look at Tyler and Kyle. "Are you guys staying in here?"

"Oh, no," Tyler replies. "We have our own room."

"Who's staying in my room then?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I know that this story is getting to a slow start, but it'll get more interesting, I promise. xD**

 **I'm going to start giving shoutouts to people who review. So thank you to AnimeJunkieGrrl and Guest (assuming it's the same one each time xD) for reviewing every chapter, and caz21 for reviewing chapter 2.**

 **Now on to the story!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one but Brooke, Kyle, and Tyler. Everyone else belongs to themselves or the WWE.**

* * *

Brooke would've assumed the hotel accidentally gave her a room with two beds again, but someone had their things on one of the beds. There were pink suitcases and makeup bags.

 _"I was kind of confused," Brooke confesses. "I've had my own hotel room for almost two years, so it was weird to see someone else's stuff in my room."_

A few seconds later, the bathroom door opens and Natalie Neidhart - or Nattie - walks out. When she sees Brooke, she smiles.

"Hey, Brooke!" She exclaims. "I didn't know we were rooming together."

"I didn't either," Brooke admits. "I normally get a room by myself."

"I do too."

"I thought you roomed with TJ?" Brooke says, confused.

 _"Nattie and TJ have been together for as long as I can remember. They're engaged now, which is great, but why isn't he rooming with Nattie?"_

"TJ's been off the road for a while," She says. "He's injured. What about you? I figured you roomed with someone."

Brooke shakes her head. "Nope. I used to room with Eve, but she left, so it's just been me."

Nattie and Brooke talk some more until Nattie gets a call and has to talk privately.

Someone knocks on the door, so Brooke answers it.

She smiles. "Hey, Zack!"

He looks slightly taken aback by the cameras, but quickly recovers. "Hey, Brooke! Are you doing anything right now?"

" _Like I said earlier, I'm single, so no, I'm not dating Zack. We're just friends."_

"Actually," Nattie says, appearing behind Brooke. "We have to go talk to Mark and Jane. Sorry, Ryder, maybe next time."

He shrugs. "It's cool. Work's important, I get it. I'll see you later, Brooke."

"Bye, Zack."

Zack walks away as Nattie says, "Oh, bye Zack! Sorry, I must've missed you saying bye to me!"

He continues walking and laughs. Without turning around, he says, "Bye, Nattie!"

Brooke gives her a confused look, and Nattie laughs.

"What?" She asks, innocently. "It's rude not to say bye to someone."

Brooke rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Just come on."

The two women walk down the hallway and get on the elevator. Once they're in the lobby, they see Mark and Jane waiting for them.

"Hi, Mark! Jane!" Nattie says, smiling.

"Hope we didn't keep you guys waiting," Brooke adds.

"Not at all," Mark says, shaking his head.

"So what's up?" Nattie asks.

"As you guys know, we have two newbies," Jane explains. "We were hoping you two could help them out, show them the ropes of the WWE. Just until WrestleMania."

" _I'm sure some people wouldn't want to help out the newbies," Brooke says. "But I love helping out the new Divas! I'm down at NXT all the time, helping the girls out."_

"Of course!" Brooke says.

"Sure," Nattie adds, not as enthusiastically as her friend.

"Oh, here they come now," Mark says.

They look toward the hallway, where two girls are walking toward them. One of them is tall, with brown hair and is really pretty. The other one is shorter, with curly black hair. When they reach the group, Mark smiles.

"Nattie, Brooke, this is Eva Marie and JoJo." He points at each girl as he says their name.

 _"Eva Marie looks like one of the model-turned-wrestlers that we see too much in the WWE. I hope she does something to stand out._

 _JoJo looks like she's still in high school! I don't know what's going on, but she is definitely going to need a lot of training if Mark and Jane want her on the main roster."_

"Well, that's all for now," Jane says. "You girls get to know each other."

Mark and Jane walk away, and the cameras stop filming.

"I love you guys!" JoJo admits. "I can't wait to work with you!"

Brooke smiles. "Thanks! It'll be fun working with you too, I'm sure!"

Eva sighs. "JoJo and I need to go. We'll see you later."

JoJo frowns, but follows her friend.

Nattie rolls her eyes and looks at Brooke. "So what are you doing now?"

"I actually wanted to go workout," Brooke says. "Why?"

"Nikki, Brie, and I are going shopping and we wanted to know if you wanted to come," Nattie explains.

"Well..."

" _Please?_ " Nattie begs.

Brooke laughs. "Fine."

"Great!" Nattie says. "I already told them you were coming. Now, come on, let's go."

"Nattie!"

"You know you love me."

Brooke, Nattie, Nikki, and Brie were now at a boutique, shopping. The cameras were back.

 _"I honestly don't know Nikki and Brie that well," Brooke admits. "Besides the occasional match, I've never really talked to them. I hope Nattie doesn't make me regret this!" She laughs._

"See anything you like?" Nikki asks Brooke.

She shrugs. "I don't normally wear dresses, so I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be looking for..."

"Girls!" Nikki snaps. Brie and Nattie look at her. "Brooke doesn't wear dresses. We need to help her!"

Nattie and the twins quickly get to work finding dresses that would look good on Brooke. Once they're done, Nikki makes her go to a dressing room and try them all on.

Eventually, everyone has found the perfect dresses and they check out. They get their bags and start heading to the parking lot.

"Do any of you guys want to workout with me?" Brooke asks.

"Sorry, but Nikki and I have to go film some things," Brie says, frowning.

"I actually have to make sure Eva and JoJo aren't getting into any trouble," Nattie says.

"Oh, do I need to come?" Brooke asks.

"No, it's fine." Nattie shakes her head. "You can workout. I don't mind."

"Well, okay..."

Brooke was now at the hotel, by herself. She had already put her bags in her room and was now looking for a workout partner.

She saw a small group of Superstars talking in the lobby, and Zack was one of them, so she walked up to him.

"Hey!" She says, once he finishes talking. "Are you doing anything right now?"

"Not really, no." He smirks. "Why?"

"I want to go workout out and no one will go with me."

"Say no more," He says. "I will be your workout buddy."

"Thank you!" She says. "I have to go change, but I'll meet you back here, okay?"

"Can't wait!"


	5. Chapter 5

**It's been a few days since I've updated because I've been busy. Well, here's a new chapter!**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing chapter 4! I appreciate it! :D**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one except for Brooke and her cameramen. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

 _"I love working out." Brooke confesses. "It's kind of an addiction. It's not like I'm addicted to drugs, so it's a good addiction_."

Brooke and Zack walked into the gym. There were a few people already there, but they didn't pay them any attention, which they were grateful for.

They worked out and trained for a while. At one point, Eva Marie and JoJo walked in. Brooke didn't pay any attention to them. When she and Zack took a break to drink some water, Eva and JoJo walked over to her.

"Hey, Brooke, right?" Eva asks.

Brooke nods. "Yeah. What's up?"

"Is it cool if we talk when you're done with your workout?" She asks. "I need your opinion on something."

"Yeah, sure," Brooke says, nodding.

"Great," She says. "Can we meet at the hotel?"

"Sure."

"Awesome. See you later then," Eva says.

"Bye!" JoJo says before following her friend.

Zack walks up to Brooke, confused. "Who were they?"

"The newbies," Brooke answers. "Eva Marie's the taller one, and JoJo is the one with curly hair."

Brooke and Zack finish their workout. They head back to the hotel and say their goodbyes. Before talking to the newbies, Brooke decides to take a shower.

Once she's showered and dressed, she heads to the lobby. Eva Marie and JoJo are already there. When they see her, JoJo grins.

"Hey, guys," Brooke says.

"Hey," They say in unison.

"So what's up?" Brooke asks.

"Mark and Jane want me to dye my hair blonde," Eva explains. "But there are already blonde Divas and I want to make an impact, you know?"

"Yeah," She says, nodding.

"I was thinking of dying my hair red," Eva says.

"I think you'd look great with red hair," Brooke admits. "But Mark and Jane will be pretty pissed off."

"Yeah, I know." Eva sighs.

"I say go for it," Brooke says. "If they're mad, who cares? You're trying to make a name for yourself and if that means dying your hair red, then do it."

"Thanks," Eva says. "I'm glad you're the one I asked for advice."

"No problem." Brooke smiles. "I love helping out the newbies, so feel free to talk to me anytime."

JoJo grins. "Thanks! We will!"

Eva Marie and JoJo walk away, so Brooke turns around to head back to her room. She stops when her phone vibrates.

 _"I got a text from Zack asking if I wanted to hang out with him," Brooke explained. "Nothing big, just a movie in his hotel room." She pauses. "It's not a date, I promise!"_

* * *

Brooke shut the door to her hotel room and plopped down on the bed, lying down. She groaned.

Nattie walked out of the bathroom, confused.

"Brooke, are you okay?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

Brooke sat up. "Oh, sorry, Nattie!" She lets out a laugh. "I didn't think you'd be in here."

"What's wrong, Brooke?" Nattie asks, taking a seat next to her.

"Well..." She sighed. "Zack asked me to hang out in his room with him, just watching movies and talking."

"That's great!" Nattie exclaims. "What's wrong with that?"

"I can't believe I'm about to say this..." Brooke mumbles. "Nattie, I... I don't know what to wear..."

"That's it?"

"Yeah...?"

"I can help you with that!" Nattie says. "You just bought a bunch of new clothes with me and the twins, remember?"

"But I don't want to seem too dressed up, you know?" Brooke asks. "But I don't want to show up in sweats."

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Nattie assures her.

 _"What's gotten into me?"_

After finally deciding on an outfit, Brooke was walking down the hall to Zack's room.

Her phone rang.

 _"Are you kidding me?" She asks, incredulously. "I look down at my phone and it's Mark, so I know I have to take it."_

"Hello?" Brooke answers, putting the phone on speaker. She stops walking.

"Hey, Brooke," Mark says. "I know it's kind of late, but would you mind stopping by the arena and talking? I know you're not scheduled to be on _Superstars_ , but I have something to tell you."

"Yeah, sure," Brooke says. "I'll be right there."

 _"Really?" Brooke asks. "Really?! I try to go on one date and Mark has to call and ruin it!"_

Brooke hangs up and runs a hand through her hair. She continues walking down the hall until she reaches Zack's room. She knocks on the door. He answers and grins.

"Hey, Brooke!"

"Hey, Zack," Brooke says. "Uh, listen. I just got a call from Mark and he needs to talk to me. I need to head over to the arena, but I should be done pretty soon. I just didn't want you to think I stood you up, so I'm here."

"Oh, yeah, sure," He says. "I'm sure it's important. I'll wait here. Call me when you're on your way back."

"Will do," Brooke says. "See you soon, Zack."

 _"Zack is the sweetest guy ever," Brooke admits. "I knew he'd understand. God, he's just so..." She stops and blushes._

Brooke drives to the arena and walks in. She can hear people cheering as they watch _Superstars_ , and she grins. After some navigating, she finally finds Mark Carrano's office. She knocks on the door and enters.

Mark sat at his desk, talking to AJ Lee, who sat opposite him. She had her Divas Championship sitting in her lap. She turned around when the door opened and smiled at Brooke.

"Brooke!" Mark exclaims. "Come, sit down. I don't normally call you in at random times and I'm sorry, but this is big news."

"It's fine," Brooke says, shrugging. "What's the news?"

"After some careful consideration, we've decided that you will be facing AJ Lee at Extreme Rules for the Divas Championship."

 _"Wait, what?!"_

Brooke's eyes widen. "Oh my God. Thank you so much for this opportunity! I won't let you down, I promise!"

 _"I can't believe this!" She squeals._

Brooke and Mark talk a little bit more. When they've finished, Brooke gets up and leaves. She gets in the car and pulls out her phone, calling Zack.

"So...?" He asks.

"I'm facing AJ for the Divas Championship!" She exclaims.

"When?!"

"At Extreme Rules!" Her phone beeps. "I think I got a text, so I'll talk to you when I get back to the hotel, okay?"

"Alright, see you then."

They hang up.

"Hey, me and Kyle are going to head back to the hotel and meet you there," Tyler says.

"Okay, sounds good," Brooke says, nodding.

Kyle and Tyler get out of the car, heading to their own car and piling their equipment into it.

Brooke unlocks her phone as they pull out of the parking lot. The text was from an unknown number, so she unlocked the screen and read it.

 _"I know where you're hiding, Brooke. You thought I wouldn't keep watching you? As long as you're on TV, I'm going to watch you. You're just as beautiful as the last time I saw you. I'll keep in touch."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl and Guest for their reviews on the last chapter! Glad you guys are liking it so far!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one. I only own Brooke, her cameramen, and the mysterious guy texting Brooke. Everyone else belongs to the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. She reread the text multiple times, hoping it was fake.

She hoped it was a prank, a huge joke, but she had a feeling it wasn't. She had a feeling it was _him_.

He wasn't supposed to be near her. The restraining order didn't allow him within 400 yards of her. If they had one more altercation, he would be arrested.

He wouldn't take that chance.

Would he?

* * *

Brooke arrived at the hotel, where Kyle and Tyler were in the parking lot, unloading their equipment. When she approached them, they smiled.

"We're almost done," Kyle says. "Once we get all this stuff out, we can head to Zack's room."

After reading the text, Brooke had almost forgotten about her date with Zack. She quickly smiled and nodded.

"It's okay," She says. "Take your time."

After a few minutes, they had everything, so Brooke and the guys headed inside. When they got on the elevator, Kyle and Tyler began filming.

They reached Zack's floor, so they headed down the hallway to his room. Brooke knocked on the door. Zack answered shortly after, a grin on his face.

"This is so exciting!" He exclaims. "You could be the next Divas Champion!"

He hugs her and she giggles, wrapping her arms around his neck. Suddenly, he lifts her up and spins her around.

"Zack!" She shrieks, laughing.

He stops and sets her down. "Sorry, I got kind of excited."

She grins. "It's fine. Now, are you going to let me in or am I standing out here all night?"

"Oh, right!"

Zack moves out of the way, letting Brooke - along with Tyler and Kyle - inside.

"We're only going to be here for ten or fifteen minutes," Tyler informs. "We just need some footage for the show."

"It's cool," Zack assures him. He walks over to the nightstand, holding up two movies. "Which one do you want to watch?"

He held _The Fault in Our Stars_ and _Ride Along_.

Brooke bit her lip. "You probably want to watch _Ride Along_ , but I've already seen it three times..."

"So it's _The Fault in Our Stars_?"

"Please?"

"Between you and me, I've been wanting to watch it, too," Zack says, setting the other movie down.

"Have you read the book?" She asks.

"No..."

"But John Green is amazing!" She exclaims. "You have to promise to read the book after we watch this."

"Alright, I will," He says.

 _"Lucky for him, I own the book," Brooke says, smirking. "Actually, I own all of John Green's books. I hope he likes reading!"_

Zack puts the movie in the DVD player and sits down next to Brooke. The previews begin playing, and Kyle and Tyler start putting their stuff away.

"We've got enough footage," Kyle says.

"Yeah, we don't want to intrude, so we'll see you tomorrow, Brooke," Tyler says.

"See you guys!" Brooke says, waving.

As they leave, her phone vibrates and she jumps. She takes out her phone.

"What's wrong?" Zack asks.

Brooke unlocks her phone. "It's just my mom. My phone vibrated and it freaked me out. That's all."

She quickly replied to her mom, making sure to turn her phone off once it sent.

The movie went to the main screen and Zack hit Play.

* * *

 _"I do, Augustus. I do."_

Brooke was crying. She'd wipe away her tears, but new ones would form. The end credits rolled and she looked over at Zack. He wasn't crying, but his eyes looked wet.

"Are you trying not to cry?" Brooke asks, smirking. She wiped her eyes one last time.

"No."

"It's okay to cry," She says. "It's a sad movie."

"It's just..." He trails off, but begins again. "What's wrong with John Green?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who writes about kids dying?" He asks. "What's wrong with him?"

"He just wants to make people cry," She says, sighing. "This movie emotionally drained me."

"Same."

"I think I'm going to head back to my room," Brooke says. "Nattie's probably wondering when I'll be back."

"Can I... Can I walk you back?" Zack asks.

Brooke smiles. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Zack turns off the TV, and he and Brooke head out of the room.

They walked down the hall in silence. It wasn't awkward, thankfully. The movie had just taken a lot out of them.

Finally, they reached her room.

Brooke stopped at the door. "Thanks for walking me."

"Yeah... No problem," He says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Zack," She says.

She stands on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek. She quickly unlocks the door and walks into her room, shutting the door quietly.

The lights were off and Nattie was sleeping. Brooke walked over to her bags, quietly grabbing some pajamas and heading to the bathroom.

She turned on the light. She took her phone out of her pocket, setting it on the counter. She put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth.

Brooke picked up her phone and turned it back on. The movie had distracted her, so she hadn't thought to turn her phone back on.

Before she left, Nattie put a little bit of makeup on her, so she proceeded to take a makeup wipe and clean her face. In the middle of this, her phone began vibrating. After doing so five or six times, it stopped. Brooke washed off her face and, with a shaky hand, picked up her phone.

The first text was from her mom, but the rest were from an unknown number - _him_.

 _"Have you missed me? Because I've sure missed you."_

 _"What's a pretty girl like you doing getting beat up for a living? You obviously didn't like it when I did it to you."_

 _"Are you ignoring me? That's not very nice, Brooke."_

 _"Did you know the restraining order ends in a week? Aren't you excited? We finally get to see each other face to face again! How long has it been? Two years?"_

The last text made Brooke drop her phone. It clattered to the ground as she leaned on the counter. She took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair, and picked her phone back up. Luckily, it hadn't cracked.

She read the text again. Could he be lying? Once the restraining order was put in place, she was so relieved that she didn't even think about it ending. Now, she was wishing this was some kind of sick joke.

She decided that she'd go and see her lawyer that week, before she was needed for _Raw_ next Monday.

* * *

Brooke woke up the next morning to someone knocking on her door. She groaned and buried her head under her pillow.

"Brooke, get the door!" Nattie mumbled.

"You're closer..." Brooke replied.

Sighing, Nattie stands up and walks over to the door. She opens it to reveal Kyle and another man standing there, holding cameras.

"Danny, I know you need to film me, but it is too early for this," Nattie says.

"It's never too early!" He exclaims, grinning.

"It's too early to be that happy," Brooke says, sitting up.

"I'm an early bird," Danny says, shrugging.

Nattie's phone vibrates and she looks at it.

"Well, it looks like we have to get up," Nattie says, sighing. "Nikki and Brie invited us to breakfast."

Brooke sighs, looking at the men in their doorway. "You guys can come back when we're showered and dressed. Go away."

Kyle and Danny grin, and walk away.

Brooke and Nattie proceed to get dressed.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm admitting right now that this chapter isn't as interesting as the last few have been, but it gets better, I promise. xD**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl and Guest for their reviews on the last chapter! :D**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one except for Brooke and the guy who keeps texting her. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke and Nattie walk to the elevator and to the lobby, where Nikki and Brie, along with some cameramen, were waiting.

"Hey guys!" Nikki greets them, grinning.

"There's a restaurant just down the street," Brie says. "We figured since it was a nice day, we could just walk."

"Sounds good to me," Brooke says.

 _"If there's food involved, I'm down for anything."_

"Eva and JoJo are eating with us, too," Nikki adds. "They're meeting us there."

The girls head outside, making small talk. Nikki puts on her sunglasses, and Brooke shoves her hands into her pockets.

Brie was right; the restaurant was just down the street. They got there rather quickly, and Nikki asked for a table for six. It wasn't too fancy, but it was a sit-down restaurant, so a host led them to their table.

They sit down and order their drinks. Nikki had texted the other girls beforehand and got their drink orders. The waiter walked away, and a few seconds later, Brie smiled.

"Hey, JoJo's here!" She exclaimed.

Nattie and Brooke turn around to see the younger Diva walking in. She ran a hand through her hair and grinned when she noticed the girls looking at her.

"Hey, guys!" She says.

"Hey!"

"Eva's in the car putting on makeup," JoJo explains. "I made her leave before she was ready."

"Sounds like Nikki," Brie says, looking at her twin.

"Shut up, Brie," Nikki retorts, rolling her eyes.

Brie looks behind JoJo and her eyes widen. "Oh my God..."

Brooke turns around. Eva Marie was walking in, her formerly brown hair now a bright red.

 _"I know I told Eva she should dye her hair, but I wasn't expecting her to dye it fire engine red!" She pauses. "I really like it, though."_

Eva reaches the table and takes a seat next to Nattie.

"Eva!" Brooke exclaims. "I love your hair!"

Eva smiles. "Thanks."

"What did Mark say when he saw your hair?" Nattie asks.

"Well..." Eva begins. "He wasn't very happy about it. I honestly thought I was going to lose my job, but he just accepted the fact that it was red and that I'm trying to make a name for myself."

The waiter comes by with their drinks, and everybody orders breakfast.

"So, Brooke..." Nattie says once the waiter leaves.

Brooke looks up from her drink. "What?"

"How was your date last night?" She asks, smirking.

"You had a date last night?" Nikki asks, grinning.

"Yeah..."

"With who?" Brie asks.

"Zack..."

"Zack Ryder?" Nikki asks, and Brooke nods. "How was it? What did you guys do?"

 _"Now I remember why I don't have very many girl friends," Brooke says. "They're so nosy!"_

"We just hung out in his room and watched a movie," Brooke explains, shrugging.

"What did you watch?" Brie asks.

 _"The Fault in Our Stars_ ," Brooke answers, smiling.

"Brie, that's not important!" Nikki says. She looks at Brooke. "What did you guys do afterward?"

"It was our first date!" Brooke exclaims. "We didn't have sex! After the movie, I went back to my room."

"Aw, that's no fun," Nikki says, frowning.

Brooke rolls her eyes. "I'm sorry you don't find my social life amusing."

"It's okay," Nikki says, shrugging. "I've got my own man to keep me busy."

"Nikki!"

* * *

 _"Six more days. We haven't talked in two years. Isn't it crazy? I miss your voice."_

Brooke sat in her hotel room, staring at her phone. Nattie had left to go to the performance center, training with Eva Marie and JoJo. Brooke had opted to stay behind, deciding to take a nap. When her phone vibrated, though, any thought of sleep had left her mind.

Finally, she opened the message and typed a reply.

 _"How did you get my number?"_

Right after sending it, however, she realized she had opened the wrong message. She'd sent it to Zack.

He replied a minute later.

 **"You gave it to me?"**

 _"Sorry Zack, wrong number!"_

She hoped he would drop the subject as she pulled up the actual message and texted him.

She got another text from Zack.

 **"Is everything okay?"**

 _"Eh..."_

 **"Do you want to talk about it?"**

 _"Not really... :-/"_

 **"Liar. I'm coming over."**

Brooke sighed and dropped her phone on the bed.

Who knows? Maybe talking to Zack will help.


	8. Chapter 8

**The story is getting good again! :D**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing last chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one except Brooke and the guy texting her (whose name is revealed in this chapter). Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke sat on her bed, cross-legged, waiting for Zack to arrive.

 _"I've never told anyone about Jace," Brooke says. "I just feel like I can trust Zack, though. Maybe finally getting this off my chest will help."_

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Brooke got up and answered it. Zack was there, and he looked worried.

"Is everything okay, Brooke?" He asks.

She sighs. "No."

"What's wrong?"

Brooke lets Zack in and closes the door. She walks over to her bed and sits down. Nattie was gone, so Zack sat on her bed.

"Zack..." She pauses. He doesn't say anything, just states intently at her. "I've never told anyone this, okay? So please don't think I'm crazy."

"I could never think you're crazy," He says. "What's going on, Brooke?"

"This is going to be a long story," She warns. "Are you prepared for this?"

"Of course."

Brooke takes a deep breath. "Okay... Well, a few years ago, when I got a call from WWE, I went to Tampa. I wrestled in FCW for about two years. Well, a few months after I got there, I met this guy named Jace. He was great. He was amazing. He was a sweetheart, he was kind. He was everything I looked for in a guy..."

"But?"

"We talked for a little bit, then we started dating. Everything was fine...but one day, he hit me. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do. He apologized and said it'd never happen again, and I believed him."

"But it happened again..."

"And again. And again." Brooke was holding back tears now. "But I always forgave him, because I thought I was in love and I figured I could change him. Well, I couldn't. And then he got really possessive and jealous. He would start showing up to events - this was after I joined the main roster - and get mad at me for talking to other guys."

"Brooke..."

"Wait, I'm not done yet," She says, tears rolling down her face. "One year, I decided to go on the European Tour, and I was really excited. But Jace didn't want me to go. He tried everything to get me to stay, but I eventually went. When I got home..."

"You don't have to - "

"When I got home," She continues. "He was pissed off. I'd never seen him so mad. Of course, he took it out on me. But then he started throwing things. He broke a bunch of things, and a lot of those things, he broke by hitting me with them. He hit me in the face with a glass bottle and I had to get stitches above my left eye. He broke my arm and I had to stay off TV for a while. It was bad."

"Where is Jace now?" Zack asks.

"I have no idea," She admits. "After that happened, I broke up with him and got a restraining order. I haven't seen him in two years. But..."

"But what?"

Brooke grabbed her phone off the nightstand and found the texts. She handed the phone to Zack. As he read each one, he got angrier and angrier.

 _"I thought I would feel better, but I just feel like shit now," Brooke says, tears in her eyes, but she forces out a laugh._

"How did he get your number?" Zack asks.

"I have no idea," She says, shaking her head.

"You're staying with me," Zack decides.

"What?"

"I'm not letting you be by yourself when this lunatic is out looking for you," He explains. "You're staying with me. If he even gets near you, I'm killing him."

"Zack..." She says. She looks down at her hands. "You don't have to do that."

"But I am," He says. "You're an amazing girl, and he's the single worst son of a bitch I've ever heard of. You didn't deserve any of what he put you through. I just want you know that not all guys are like Jace."

Brooke looks up and smiles. "Thank you so much."

She gets up and sits next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

 _"I don't regret this as much as I thought I would," Brooke says. "Zack makes me feel safe. I have complete faith that he'll protect me from Jace."_

The room's door opens and Nattie walks in. When she sees Brooke and Zack, she stops.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asks, laughing.

Brooke lifts her head up. "No, you're okay, Nattie. Zack was just about leave."

"Actually, I'm taking Brooke on a date," Zack says, suddenly.

Brooke looks at Zack, but he just seems confident and not at all regretful.

"Well, I don't want to interrupt you two," Nattie says. "I'll see you guys later."

Zack stands up and offers a hand to Brooke, helping her up. She follows him out of the room and they stop.

"I didn't agree to a date," She says.

"I know, but..."

"I mean, I need to time to wash my face and try to make myself look presentable," She continues.

"Come with me to my room," He says.

* * *

After washing off her tearstained face, Zack took Brooke to a nearby restaurant. It wasn't fancy, since neither of them were dressed up.

After ordering their food, Brooke spoke up.

"Um, Zack..." She starts. He looks at her. "I just want to thank you for listening. I've never told anybody any of that, and the fact that you listened to all of it... I just really appreciate it."

"I'm glad you told me, honestly," He admits. "If this guy is coming after you, I don't want to be by yourself dealing with him. You need protection, and I'll gladly be your knight in shining armor."

Brooke reached across the table and took Zack's hand, squeezing it.

"Thank you so much," She says.

 _"This is going to sound weird, but I'm glad Zack exists," Brooke says, smiling. "He's just an amazing person. He gives me hope for humanity."_


	9. Chapter 9

**This is a really, really short chapter, so I'll be posting the next chapter, too. I just needed to move the story along.**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing last chapter! :D**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one except Brooke. Everyone else belongs to the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke and Zack walked backstage at _Extreme Rules_. The week had gone by without any major problems, just a few texts that were promptly ignored.

Zack was in the dark match, while Brooke was wrestling for the Divas Championship. When they reached the Divas locker room, they said their goodbyes and Brooke walked inside.

"I'm so excited!" AJ exclaimed, running up to her. The Total Divas cameras weren't on because AJ had asked not to be featured on the show.

"I am too!" Brooke also exclaimed. "I got new ring gear and I'm ready to have an amazing match!"

"This is our first time facing each other for the title," AJ points out. "So if I lose, I'm glad it was to you."

"And if I lose, I'm glad you'll still be champion," Brooke says, smiling. "Well, I'll also be kind of sad, too."

AJ rolls her eyes. "Go get dressed. I'll see you in the ring."

AJ walks out of the room, so Brooke grabs her ring gear and puts it on. Most of the other Divas don't pay much attention to her, which she's grateful for. She needs time to focus.

She and AJ have the third match of the night, so she has time to talk to Zack after his match.

 _"Zack and I have been hanging out a lot these past few days," Brooke says. "Ever since we talked, it just feels like this huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and it's great. Yeah, I'm still worried about Jace, but now I know I'm not alone."_

Brooke sat down on a crate near Gorilla and waited for Zack. His match was still going on. A few minutes later, he was walking back, followed by Tyler Breeze.

Since his opponent was someone from NXT, Zack probably lost, but he didn't mind. He'd told Brooke before that he loves facing the new guys in NXT and getting the crowd behind them during dark matches.

When he saw Brooke, he smiled. "Hey!"

"Hey!" She also said. "I figured you were going to look for me, so I decided to beat you to it."

"Is that new gear?" Zack asks.

She involuntarily looks down. "Yep!"

"It looks good," He says.

"Thanks." She blushes.

"Zack, quit flirting with my opponent!" AJ exclaimed, coming from behind him. He turned around. "We need to discuss our match. Go back to Long Island or something."

"Do you realize how far Chicago is from Long Island?" Zack asks.

"You better start walking, then," AJ replies, shrugging.

Zack chuckles and rolls his eyes, walking away. Once he's far enough away, they start talking.

"That was mean," Brooke says.

"No, it wasn't," AJ says. "I just made a suggestion. He's the one who talked about the distance."

"Yeah, sure."

"Anyway, I talked with Hunter and I found out who's winning our match," AJ says.

* * *

"The following match is scheduled for one fall and is for the Divas Championship!" Lillian Garcia announces.

 _Light It Up_ begins playing.

"Introducing first, from Union City, New Jersey: the Divas Champion, AJ Lee!"

AJ skips to the ring, the Divas title slung over her shoulder. Once she's in the ring, she leans on the ropes and waits.

"And her opponent..."

 _"FIGHT!_

 _You're afraid,_

 _Like I make my deals with the devil._

 _You've been at it for years,_

 _But couldn't reach that next level!_

 _Let's keep it real,_

 _This is no competition to me!_

 _Even if everyone around you acts like they don't see!"_

"From Detroit, Michigan: Brooklyn!"

A Day to Remember blasted throughout the arena as Brooklyn made her way to the ring.

Once the women were both in the ring, AJ handed the ref her title and they faced each other.

The bell rang.


	10. Chapter 10

**Honestly, I don't know why I didn't just combine this chapter and the one before it. That way, I'd have one normal sized chapter instead of two really short ones. Well, it's too late now. xD**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely no one except Brooke. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

The Divas locked up and the match got under way.

Quickly, AJ gained control. She got Brooke in a headlock, but she got out of it and brought AJ to the ground. Before Brooke could do anything, AJ kicked her in the back of the head and she fell.

AJ stood up and made it to a corner. She needed to take a breath. Brooke held the back of her head and stood up. AJ looked up as Brooke ran toward her and speared her. She fell to the ground.

Brooke ran a hand through her hair, smirking. She turned around and climbed to the top turnbuckle. The crowd began cheering. Suddenly, AJ was up and she was grabbing Brooke's leg and pulling her down.

She fell to the mat, grabbing her leg. AJ smirked and got on her knees, grabbing Brooke's hair and bring her face eye-level to hers.

"You'll never get my baby!" AJ yelled. "That title is mine!" She shoved Brooke's head away from her.

Brooke brought her head back and glared at AJ. She slapped her and the crowd cheered.

AJ's hand went to her face and she frowned. Brooke suddenly pounced on AJ and began punching her. The ref had to pull her off.

AJ laid on the mat as Brooke stood up. She looked around at the crowd, then back down at AJ. She turned around and climbed to the top turnbuckle again. Once she was sure AJ wasn't getting up, Brooke hit her with a 450 Splash - her finisher.

When she landed on AJ, she went for the pin.

"1...2...3!"

Brooke stood up, grinning.

"The winner of this match, and the _new_ Divas Champion: Brooklyn!"

The ref came in the ring and handed her the title, then raised her hand in the air.

* * *

When Brooke got backstage, Zack was waiting for her, grinning.

"I'm so happy for you!" He exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug.

 _"I can't even begin to explain how happy I am," Brooke says. "I feel like a kid in a candy store. Life is amazing."_

When Zack released her, Brooke noticed Nattie, Brie, and Nikki walking toward her.

"This is so exciting!" Nattie exclaimed, hugging Brooke.

"You really deserve this, Brooke," Brie said.

"We need to celebrate!" Nikki suggests. The other girls nod in agreement.

"Oh, no," Brooke says, shaking her head. "I'm not the partying type. You guys can go, though. Celebrate for me."

"Are you sure?" Brie asks.

"You won't get to see Brie Mode!" Nikki exclaims.

Brooke thought about asking what Brie Mode was, but didn't. "It's fine. You guys go ahead. Celebrate for me."

Once they realized Brooke wouldn't go with them, the girls left to celebrate her victory without her.

Once all the commotion died down, Brooke noticed AJ sitting on a crate watching the pay-per-view, by herself. She walked up to her.

"Hey."

AJ looked at her and gave a small smile. "Hey."

"You did good tonight," Brooke says.

"Thanks," AJ says. "I can't believe I was the longest reigning champion when I lost it. That's insane."

"Sorry for ending it," Brooke apologizes.

"I'm glad it was to you," AJ says. "Now that Kaitlyn's gone, you're really my only friend. I'm glad you're the new champion."

"Well, okay..."

AJ smiled. "So now that you're champion, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the hotel and I'm going to sleep," Brooke says, laughing. "I'm exhausted."

AJ laughs. "I'll see you later, Brooke."

Brooke began walking away, to the Divas locker room. She was going to change out of her ring gear, get her stuff, and leave the arena.

On the way, she was stopped by Renée Young, who interviewed her for the show, and Byron Saxton a few minutes later, for the app.

Finally, she reached the locker room. She stood in front of the door and noticed the silence. There was normally murmuring going on behind the door, but Brooke assumed everyone had gone out to celebrate. If there was a reason to party, they were gone.

She opened the door and walked in. She turned around to lock it, since she was the only one in there. She wanted some peace and quiet.

"Hello, Brooke."

She gasped and turned around. When she saw his face, the Divas Championship fell from her hand and clattered to the ground.

"Did you miss me?"


	11. Chapter 11

**I managed to update _WWE One-Shots_ at a normal time today, but apparently I couldn't do that with this story. xD**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing last chapter!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Brooke and Jace. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Jace stood there. His black hair was swept out of his face. It had gotten longer since the last time Brooke had seen him. His blue eyes had that false optimism that Brooke had grown accustomed to.

He was actually very attractive, but Brooke had gotten to know him, and his looks could never make up for the things he did.

"Not talking, huh?" He asked, slowly walking toward her. He stopped. "It's okay. I can do most of the talking. Just like when we were dating. You haven't changed a bit."

"What are you doing here, Jace?" She asked. She sounded more confident than she felt.

"I'm not allowed to come visit you?" He asked, casually.

"At work?"

"We haven't seen each other in two years," He said.

"I have a restraining order against you!" She exclaimed.

Jace chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Had. You _had_ a restraining order. Not anymore! I'm back, Brooke, and there's nothing you can do about it."

He walked closer to her. She was up against the door now and he was towering over her. Brooke started to slowly move her hand to the doorknob.

"Are you really going to do something _here_?" She asked. "There are so many guys here who fight for a living, and any one of them would be happy to kick your ass."

Jace noticed her hand and grabbed it. He brought it above her head and slammed it into the door and pinning it there, making her wince.

He smirked. "You really think I'm going to do something _here_? You've got me all wrong. I'm not stupid, Brooke."

"Then why are you here?" She asked softly.

"I am going to do something, but definitely not here," He explained. "It's going to happen when you least expect it. When you're the most vulnerable, just like the old days. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Brooke said nothing, just glared at him. Then she brought her other hand up and slapped him in the face.

Suddenly, the false optimism vanished from his face and was replaced with pure hatred. He grabbed her arm and threw her down on the ground.

She fell on her arm and she grabbed it. It wasn't broken, she could tell, but it still hurt. She refused to cry, though. That would only make him happy.

"I still love you, Brooke," He said, frowning. "But you never loved me. That's why it has to be this way."

Even if she could respond, he unlocked the door and left before she could, slamming it shut behind him. Brooke rolled over and laid on her back.

After a few minutes, she stood up. The door was unlocked now and anyone could walk in. She didn't want anyone to see her like that.

She picked up the Divas Championship off the floor and proceeded to change. Her arm still hurt, so it was a slow process.

There was a knock at the door. She stopped and held her breath.

"Brooke?" It was Zack. "Are you okay?"

She walked over to the door and opened it. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Cena said he saw you walk in here, but you never came out, so I figured I'd see if you were okay," He explained.

Brooke faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just...had to stop and process everything that just happened. It's so surreal."

 _It wasn't a complete lie_ , she thought.

"Oh," He said, nodding. She couldn't tell if he believed her or not. "So... Are you going to the club with everyone else?"

"No, I'm just heading back to the hotel," She explained. "I'm exhausted."

"Do you need a ride?" He asked.

She was about to decline, but her mind wandered to Jace.

"Please?"

He laughed. "Come on."

* * *

Zack dropped her off at the hotel, even offering to walk her to her room. He made sure she got in okay and left.

Nattie was gone, probably at the club with everyone else, so Brooke was by herself. She set the Divas Championship on the table and sat down on her bed. She barely had time to do anything when someone knocked on the door. Before she answered it, she checked to see who it was.

It was John Cena.

She quickly opened the door. "Hey, John..."

"Hey, Brooke," He said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." She moved out of the way and let him in, closing the door behind him. "What's up?"

"Who was that guy in the Divas locker room?" He asked.

Brooke frowned, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "Who?"

"The guy with the black hair," He explained. "He went into the Divas locker room during your match, and left a few minutes after you went in there."

"Oh, um..."

"Listen, it's not my business who you talk to," John added. "But I just want you to know that Zack is a good guy. Give him a chance first, okay?"

"Oh, no!" She exclaimed. "No, no! I'm not interested in Jace at all! Zack is the one I like."

John smirked. "Okay. I'm just looking out for my friend, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, I understand," She replied, nodding. "You have nothing to worry about. Zack is a great guy. I'm glad we're friends."

"I bet you feel awkward now," John says, chuckling. "I'm going to leave now. Nikki's probably looking for me, anyway."

"Okay," Brooke said. "See ya, John."

"Bye, Brooke."


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sorry it took so long to get this posted! This is the last chapter I have prewritten, so now I'll be working on some new ones, so it'll probably be a little while before I get a new chapter up.**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing the last chapter!**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own any unfamiliar people. Everyone else belongs to the WWE.**

* * *

Brooke woke up the next morning. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the Divas Championship, and she smiled to herself. She noticed Nattie wasn't in the room anymore and checked the time.

12:20.

She sat up. She needed to get ready and leave to go to the next city. She had to be on Raw, and she didn't want to be late.

Brooke reached over and picked up her phone. One was from Nattie, letting her know she left. One was from Tyler, letting her know he'd meet her at the arena with Kyle. The last one was from Zack.

 _"Hey, can we talk before you leave? It's important."_

 **"Yeah, sure. Is something wrong?"**

He didn't answer her question and just told her to meet her in his room. She sighed and stood up.

She took a shower and got dressed. She made sure she packed everything before walking to Zack's room. She knocked on the door.

Zack answered it quickly. He looked tired, like he hadn't gotten much sleep. He also looked worried.

He stood there for a few seconds, staring at Brooke.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to let me in, or just keep staring at me?"

He shook his head. "Oh, yeah. Sorry." He moved out of the way, and she walked inside.

"Zack, is everything okay?" She asked. "You look like a complete mess - no offense - and you're all spaced out. What's wrong?"

"Did you talk to Jace?"

He asked it so suddenly and quickly, it took Brooke a minute to register what he said. When she did, the color drained from her face.

"Well, um..."

"Tell me the truth, Brooke," He said.

"How do you know?" She asked softly.

"John told me he saw a guy walk in the Divas locker room that looked pretty sketchy," He exclaimed. "He left a little before I showed up."

"Yeah..." Brooke said. "I talked to Jace."

Zack frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "Did he do anything?"

"He threw me on the ground," She admitted, and when Zack began to get angry, she added, "That was it, though! I honestly thought he would do worse."

"Brooke, no one should lay a hand on you, period," He said. "I don't care if he threw you on the ground or if he punched you in the face. It shouldn't have happened."

"I'm sorry..."

"No, don't apologize," He said, quickly. "You didn't do anything. I'm just angry."

"I'm just used to apologizing," She said, sighing. "I was with Jace for such a long time that I apologize for everything." Her phone vibrated and she looked at it. "I have to go downstairs. Kyle and Tyler are waiting for me."

"Wait," He said. She looked at him. "Can I drive you to the next city? I'd just feel safer knowing you weren't alone."

She smiled. "Yeah. Come on."

Zack and Brooke went to her room to get her things, then went downstairs, where Tyler and Kyle were waiting.

"Hey guys," Brooke greeted them. "Sorry I took so long. I had to talk with Zack."

Kyle smiled. "It's fine."

"We're taking Zack's car, so feel free to set up cameras and microphones," She said.

Kyle and Tyler walked outside, carrying their equipment with them.

"Why don't you turn in the keys, and I'll take the stuff to the car?" Zack offered.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "That's a lot of stuff."

"I'll be fine, I promise."

Brooke was about to protest, but remembered how she hurt her arm. "Okay, fine."

Zack smirked and handed her his key. He picked up the bags and walked away.

Brooke turned around and went to the front desk, turning in the keys. When she turned around, she saw messy black hair getting off the elevator. She quickly started walking to the door, but he noticed her and caught up. He grabbed her arm and she winced. He smirked.

"Where are you running off to?" He asked, not letting go of her arm.

"Leave me alone, Jace," She muttered.

He squeezed her arm, and she closed her eyes, tightly. "Are you sure you want to do this, Brooke?"

"Zack and I are leaving," She said. "But we're not leaving with you."

He let go of her arm and frowned. "Zack?"

"Yeah. Zack," She said. "And we're leaving. Goodbye, Jace."

She walked away before he could grab her arm again. She looked around the parking lot until she found Zack, who was just finishing putting the bags in the trunk.

"There you are!" He said, smirking. "I only have one bag left. Were you just trying to get out of helping me?"

She laughed nervously. "Yep! You caught me." She saw Jace walk out of the hotel, but she continued looking at Zack. "Get in the car."

"What?"

"Just get in the car," She said. "Now."

Zack frowned, but got in the driver's seat, while she got in the passenger seat.

"Jace is here," She said.

"Are you sure?"

"We talked in the lobby before I came out here," She said. "That's why I took so long. So yeah, I'm pretty damn sure."

Zack said nothing. He turned the car on a and pulled out of the parking lot. He didn't look back.

 _"So..." Brooke laughed nervously. "This is sort of a funny story. You remember that Jace guy I was talking about? Well, he found me. I don't want to go into too many details, but I really don't want to talk to him."_

It was silent for a few minutes. Zack was gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were white.

"I'm sorry," Brooke said, sighing.

"Don't apologize."

"But you're mad."

He glanced at her. "I'm not mad at you, though. Jace is the jerk who hits women."

"Me," She interjected. "He hits _me_. I don't think he hits other women."

"That's even worse," He said. "You're the nicest person I've ever met. How could he hit you?"

Brooke looked down at her hands in her lap. "I don't know. I guess I just did some things wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong," He protested. "Jace just needed an excuse to hurt you. Quit blaming yourself."

Brooke sighed. "I'll try."

Zack reached over and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. He kept their hands in her lap. Neither of them said anything.


	13. Chapter 13

**I finally updated! I'm sorry it took so long, but I had writer's block! I like how this chapter came out, though, and hopefully you guys do too, so you're not too mad.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own anyone unfamiliar characters. Everyone else belongs to the WWE or to themselves.**

* * *

The car ride was silent. They were still holding hands, and Zack had begun to rub circles with his thumb on the back of Brooke's hand.

Brooke looked out the window. She didn't know what to say, but Zack was calming her down just by being next to her. Finally, she looked at him.

"If you're about to apologize, I don't want to hear it," He said.

"I'm not," She said. "I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For caring so much," She replied. "I just… I really appreciate it."

Zack grinned. "No problem. You're awesome, so you should be treated that way."

It was quiet again for a few more minutes, but Brooke spoke up.

"So… I have a favor to ask."

"All right," Zack said.

"Since we're going to be in Detroit tonight, I was hoping we could stop by and see my lawyer?" She said. It came out sounding more like a question than she meant to.

Zack squeezed her hand. "Absolutely."

 _"I'm actually from Detroit, so my lawyer is there," Brooke confessed. "She's great at what she does. I just hope she can keep Jace away from me."_

"Do you want me to come with you?" Zack asked, briefly glancing at her.

"If you want to," Brooke replied. "I'd love it if you did, but you don't have to."

He squeezed her hand again. "I'll be there."

"Brooke Freeman?" The receptionist said.

Brooke looked up at the sound of her name. "That's me."

"Mrs. Perry will see you now," The receptionist said.

Zack and Brooke stood up and followed the receptionist to the office. When they walked in, they sat down in two chairs by a desk.

Behind the desk was Vanessa Perry. Her long black hair was up in a bun, and her brown eyes glanced at them from behind her glasses. She was currently on the phone finishing up a conversation. After a few minutes, she hung up and smiled at the WWE Superstars.

"Hello, Brooke," Vanessa said. She looked at Zack and stuck out her hand. "I'm Vanessa Perry. You are?"

"I'm Zack Ryder," He replied, shaking her hand. "I'm one of Brooke's co-workers."

Vanessa nodded, then looked back at Brooke. "I'm assuming you are here about the restraining order?"

"I am," She said. "Jace started sending me texts and one day showed up where I work. He told me the restraining order had ended."

Vanessa stood up from her chair and opened a filing cabinet next to the desk. After some rummaging around, she pulled out a folder labeled _Freeman, Brooke Lynn._ She opened it and looked through some papers before finding what she was looking for.

"Your restraining order expired almost a week ago," Vanessa said, her eyes scanning the paper. "If the address on this paper is correct, my office sent you a letter in the mail about this." She handed the paper to Brooke.

Brooke looked at the address on the paper and frowned. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Zack asked.

"After Jace and I broke up, I moved out of our house, but he stayed," She explained. "I don't actually live anywhere right now because I'm always on the road. This is Jace's address."

"So Jace has been getting your mail?" Zack asked.

"Most of it is junk, so I didn't even think about it," Brooke said. "I didn't realize I'd be getting something about this in the mail."

"If you'd like, you can file to get a new restraining order," Vanessa said.

"I guess I have to," Brooke said, sighing.

"I will go to the court and get you a temporary restraining order," Vanessa said. "Eventually, you'll need to go to a hearing to get a permanent one."

Brooke nodded. "I'm too familiar with all of this. When you get the temporary restraining order, could you give me a call? I'll come by and get it. I don't want Jace getting his hands on it."

"Absolutely," Vanessa said. She and Brooke stood up, shaking hands. "If you need anything else, feel free to give me a call."

"Thank you so much," Brooke said. She looked down at Zack, who was still siting. "Come on, Zack. Let's go."

Brooke and Zack left Vanessa's office. After exiting the building, they got in Zack's car and he started it. Brooke let out a deep breath.

"I'm glad that's out of the way," Brooke said.

 _"Okay, I'm going to tell you all this now so you don't find out when it's too late," Brooke said. "If you are dating someone and they hurt you, LEAVE THEM. Even if they say that they'll never do it again, you need to get out of that relationship. They are lying. That's what they say every time they hurt you. You need to find someone who loves you for you and doesn't hurt you. Find someone who wouldn't even dream of hurting you. I found all of this out too late, but you don't have to. Please don't stay with someone who doesn't love you enough to keep you safe."_

"I'm glad it is, too," Zack said. "You shouldn't have to be dealing with Jace and all of this. I'm sorry."

"Now you're apologizing?" Brooke asked, looking over at Zack and raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah, I am," He said. "I'm allowed to. I don't apologize about everything."

"Fair enough…"

"I'm sorry that life has thrown so much shit your way," He said. "You don't deserve it."

 _"You know what?" Brooke asked. "Just date Zack Ryder. Everyone is a shitty relationship, I give you permission to date Zack Ryder. I'm sure he won't mind."_

"Thanks," She said, giving him a small smile.

"So…" He said. "Your name is Brooke Lynn?"

"Where do you think I got the ring name Brooklyn from?" She asked. "My middle name's Lynn."

"That's cool," He said. "I never knew."

"So many people assume my middle name is Lynn just because I'm Brooklyn," She said. "I figured you did, too."

"I don't like assuming things about people," Zack said, shrugging.

"That's a good trait to have," She said. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

"I thought you liked me for my striking good looks," He said.

"No, of course not," Brooke said, rolling her eyes. "It's definitely because you don't assume things about people. Your striking good looks are just a bonus."

"So you think I look good?" Zack asked, smirking.

Brooke blushed. "Uh…"

 _"What did I just get myself into?"_

"Well, yeah, you're attractive," She said. "I know an attractive person when I see them."

"Just so you know, I think you look good, too," He said, the smirk still on his face.

Brooke blushed even deeper, if that was possible. Her face was redder than an apple.

"Thanks…" She managed to get out.

The car ride was silent again. This time, it was awkward, as opposed to the earlier car ride that had a comfortable silence.

 _"My God, I'm awkward." Brooke sighed. "Sometimes I get flustered around attractive guys. It's not my fault!" She paused. "I just called him attractive again, didn't I?"_

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Zack said, frowning. "I thought you already knew."

"People just know they're attractive?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah," He replied. "I know _I'm_ attractive. Do you not know you're attractive?"

Brooke shrugged. "I guess not."

"Well, you are," He said. "You are god damn beautiful. And I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable again, I promise. You deserve to know."

"Thanks…" Brooke said, and this time she didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable.

She felt god damn beautiful.


	14. Chapter 14

**I've never mentioned this, but this story doesn't take place at any certain time. I don't remember everything that was going on during season 1 of _Total Divas_ , so I use some of the stuff, but unless it affects Brooke, I probably won't include it. (Ex: I don't remember Nattie eating lunch with Trinity and Ariane, but I included it in the story.) (Other Ex: I don't think John Cena was US Champ during season 1, but for the sake of this story he is.)**

 **I really hope that all made sense. xD**

 **Shoutout to AnimeJunkieGrrl for reviewing the last chapter! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one in this chapter but Brooke. Everyone else belongs to either the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke walked into her hotel room, setting her things down and sitting down. Nattie's stuff was already in the room, but she wasn't in there.

Zack had walked her to her room, but she just wanted to be by herself, so he left.

Before she knew it, she had the Divas Championship in her hands, just staring at it. She rubbed the butterfly with her thumbs. The door opened, but she didn't look up.

"How long have you been just sitting here?" Brooke looked up at Nattie, who was leaning on the wall, looking at her.

She shrugged. "Just a few minutes."

"Haven't you been champion before?" Nattie asked, moving from the wall and walking to her bed. There was a cameraman behind her, who followed her.

"Yeah, but I don't think I really appreciated it," Brooke replied. "I was just so happy to actually hold it. It never dawned on me that it was an honor to hold this title. I didn't do much as champion. I'm going to try to be a better champion this time."

Nattie nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I've only held it once, and it was for two months. I loved every moment of it."

"So, where were you when I got here?" Brooke asked.

"Trinity, Ariane, and I went out to eat," Nattie said. She smiled. "You should come with us tomorrow! We're going out for lunch. I think you guys would get along."

 _"I don't really know Ariane and Trinity very well," Brooke confessed. "Just like I don't know Nikki and Brie very well." She laughed. "I actually thought their names were Cameron and Naomi. I'm learning so many things."_

Brooke nodded. "Sure. I could use some new friends."

"Great!" Nattie exclaimed, pulling out her phone. "I'll let them know you're coming!"

 _"Nattie's more excited about me making friends than I am," Brooke said, laughing._

"So," Nattie said, putting her phone away.

"So," Brooke repeated.

"What's going on with you and Zack?" Nattie asked.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "He's just my friend, Nattie. We're not dating."

"I never said you guys were dating," Nattie said, innocently.

"You were thinking it," She said.

"True." Nattie laughed. "But so what if you're not dating. Do you want to be dating?"

"I don't know," Brooke admitted. "My last relationship ended badly, so I don't know if I'm really ready for another one."

"Fair enough," Nattie said. "But don't let this ex-boyfriend of yours make you question yourself. If you really like Zack, then go for it. Don't hold yourself back."

 _"Wow, no wonder Nattie and TJ have been together for a million years," Brooke said. "She knows so much about relationships!"_

"Thanks, Nattie."

Nattie's phone started ringing and she looked at it. "It's TJ. I'll talk to you later, okay, Brooke?"

"Okay," She said as Nattie stood up. "Bye, Nattie."

Once Nattie left the room, she stood up and put the Divas Championship near her things. She heard a vibration and turned around. Her phone was sitting on the nightstand, and it was ringing. By the time she got to it, it had stopped ringing. It only rang once or twice, so that meant whoever was calling her had hung up. She picked up her phone and unlocked it.

 _Missed Call:  
Zack_

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Huh…" The phone started ringing again, so she quickly answered it before Zack could hang up again. "Hey, Zack."

"Hey, Brooke," He said. He sounded kind of…nervous?

"Why did you call me, but hang up before I could answer it?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah," He said, laughing nervously. "About that…"

"Is something – ?"

"Do you want to go out?" He interrupted, rushing out the words.

"What?"

"Like on a date?" He paused. "You know what? Forget I asked that. I'm – "

"Yes," She interrupted him this time.

"What?" It was his turn to be confused.

"I'd love to go on a date," She said, grinning.

"Great!" His nervousness was gone now, and it was replaced with excitement. "Are you doing anything after _Raw_ tonight?"

"No."

"We can go after the show then," He said.

"It's a date," Brooke said.

"It's a date."

* * *

Brooke was now backstage at Joe Louis Arena. The Divas Championship was slung over her shoulder as she waited for them to play her music.

"Okay, Brooke, you're on."

 _"FIGHT!_ _You're afraid,_ _like I make my deals with the devil._ _You've been at it for years,_ _but couldn't reach that next level!_ _Let's keep it real,_ _this is no competition to me!_ _Even if everyone around you acts like they don't see!"_

Brooke walked down the ramp. The crowd was loud, almost deafening. Every wrestler loved being in their hometown, and she was no exception.

She was handed a microphone, and she slid into the ring. She walked around for a little bit, waiting for the cheers to die down. Finally, she put the microphone to her mouth.

"I've been fighting _for years_ to win this," Brooke said, patting the Divas Championship. "I've been scratching and clawing my way here, and it paid off. I am finally Divas Champion." She took the title off her shoulder and held it in the air, earning some cheers. "Over the years, I've learned that if anything, I am a fighter. I am a fighting champion. So…" She paused. She walked over to one of the people outside the ring and handed him her title. "I'm going to take a cue from John Cena." The crowd erupted in both boos and cheers. "I'm going to issue an open challenge for the Divas Championship." She looked toward the back. "Any of you girls can come out here and I will fight you for this title."

She stood and waited. Finally, music played.

 _"Ain't no competition, and now I'm on a mission. I hear 'em looking for me, I just keep 'em guessing. I'm going down in a legacy."_

Naomi came out, marching right into the ring and into Brooke's face.

"I earned the shot to be the number one contender for the Divas Championship," Naomi said. "I never got my match. I want my title shot. _Now._ "

Brooke smiled. "Ask and you shall receive."

Eden Stiles climbed into the ring, while Brooke and Naomi got in their corners.

"The following bout is for the Divas Championship!" She announced. "The challenger, from Orlando, Florida: Naomi! And the Divas Champion, from Detroit, Michigan: Brooklyn!"

The match began.

Brooke and Naomi locked up, but Brooke quickly gained the upper hand. She got Naomi in a headlock, but she got out of it, Irish whipping Brooke into the ropes. She bounced off of them, and Naomi jumped over her. She bounced off the other ropes, and when she came back, Naomi kicked her in the stomach. Brooke grabbed her stomach and fell to her knees.

Naomi grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to the feet. Brooke moved her hands and punched Naomi in the head. When she didn't let go of her hair, she continued punching her. Finally, Naomi had to let go and she grabbed her head. Brooke grabbed her arm and Irish whipped her into a corner. As she stood there, Brooke ran and hit her with her knee. Naomi grabbed her stomach, and Brooke threw her on the ground toward the middle of the ring.

She climbed on the top turnbuckle. The crowd began cheering.

 _"Let's light it up, light it up, light it tonight."_

AJ came skipping down the ramp. Brooke stopped what she was doing to look at her. AJ just waved at her as she skipped around the ring. When Brooke looked back, Naomi was standing up and in front of her. She grabbed Brooke and threw to the mat. She went for the pin.

"1..2 – "

Brooke kicked out and Naomi stood up. Brooke sat up, and Naomi suddenly ran out of the ring. When Brooke turned to see why, AJ was already in front of her. She had the Divas Championship in her hand and she hit Brooke with it.

"This is mine!" AJ screamed. "You don't deserve this!"

"The winner of this match, as a result of disqualification: Brooklyn!"

Naomi got back in the ring, standing in front of AJ.

"What are you doing?" She exclaimed. "You ruined my shot at the title! What's the matter with you?!"

Naomi snatched the title out of AJ's hands, and held it in the air. AJ frowned, taking it back, and putting it in the air herself.

Suddenly, Brooke was flying through the air and she landed on both of them. When they were arguing, Brooke had gotten up and climbed to the top turnbuckle, and she hit them with a moonsault.

She picked up her title and held it in the air. She looked down at Naomi and AJ, then walked out of the ring.

When she got backstage, Zack was standing there, waiting for her. When he saw her, he grinned.

"That was amazing!" He exclaimed.

She smiled. "Thanks!"

"They should let you talk more," He said. "You're great."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Well, you can shower and get dressed," He said. "When you're done, just come by the guys locker room. I'll be waiting outside."

"Sounds good," She said, smiling.

He gave her a hug and scrunched up his nose. "You smell – "

"Can it, Ryder."


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm back with a new chapter! :D I hope you guys like it, and if you do, let me know by reviewing, faving, or following! :)**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own no one in this story except for Brooke. Everyone else either belongs to the WWE or themselves.**

* * *

Brooke headed to the Divas locker room. While AJ and Naomi hadn't made it back yet, the rest of the Divas were in there. When she walked in, Nikki glanced at her and Brie whispered something to her twin.

Brooke walked to her things. She set down the Divas Championship and grabbed her outfit for the night.

After getting dressed, she grabbed her things and started to head out.

"Hey, Brooke!"

She turned around to look at Nikki, who had approached her with Brie close behind.

"Oh, hey," Brooke greeted.

"Where are you off to?" Nikki asked.

"Well, um…"

"Oh my god," Brie exclaimed, grinning. "Are you going on a date?"

"Maybe…?"

"Is it with Zack?" Nikki asked. Brooke just nodded. "That's awesome! Well, you look great."

"Thanks," She replied, smiling.

"You have to tell us about it later, okay?" Brie said.

"Yeah, sure," Brooke said, nodding.

"Now, go!" Nikki exclaimed, turning Brooke around and leading her toward the door.

Brooke laughed. "I'm going, I'm going."

Brooke exited the locker room and began walking down the hall. She reached the men's locker room, and sure enough, Zack was standing outside, waiting.

When he saw her, he smiled. "Hey!" He paused. "You look…amazing!"

When Nikki told her that, she didn't think much of it, but now that Zack had told her that, she was blushing. Her outfit – a white, sleeveless lace dress with a brown belt and some tan flats – wasn't too extravagant, but she wanted to look good for her date, especially since she wasn't sure where they were going.

 _"I haven't been on a date in such a long time," Brooke confessed. "This is my first date in three years, and I'm honestly glad that it's with Zack." She smiled._

"Thanks…" Brooke said, giving him a small smile. He didn't say anything, but he kept staring at her. She raised an eyebrow. "So…?"

Zack slightly shook his head. "Oh, right. Come on." He offered her his arm, which she took, and they began walking out of the arena.

When they reached his car, he made a point to open her door for her. She smiled and thanked him, sitting down, and he closed the door.

He began driving and they made small talk. Finally, he stopped at a tall building. Brooke looked out the window at it.

She looked back at him. "Is this the GM Renaissance Center?"

Zack smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Have you ever been inside?"

She shook her head. "No, I've only ever driven by." She glanced back at the building. "What are we doing here?"

"You'll see."

Before she could respond, Zack got out of the car, once again opening her door for her. They walked inside together, and he led her to an elevator. Once on it, he hit the button to take them to floor 72.

Brooke widened her eyes. "What's on floor 72?"

"Our date."

She just sighed, but smiled. The elevator stopped a few times, letting people get on and off. Finally, they reached floor 72. When they got off, Brooke looked around. They were in a restaurant, but why it was 72 floors up, she didn't know. A few of the tables were occupied, but most of them weren't, considering it was getting late.

Zack began walking, so she quickly followed him. He told the host his name, and he led them to a table.

He handed them menus and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"Water, please," Brooke said.

"I'll have a water, too," Zack said.

Their waiter nodded and walked away.

"I heard they have really good wine here," Zack said.

"I might try some when I get my food," Brooke said.

She looked down at her menu. On the front, it said _Coach Insignia_ , which must have been the name of the restaurant.

After scanning her menu, she looked up and asked, "How did you find this place?"

"This is your hometown," Zack explained. "So I didn't want to take you somewhere you had probably been before, so I started looking. When I found this place and saw it was on the 72nd floor of somewhere, I figured you probably hadn't been here."

"I didn't even know this place was here," Brooke admitted.

The waiter returned with their waters. He gave them a few more minutes to look at their menus.

"It was a surprise, then, since you didn't know it was here," Zack said.

She laughed. "That's true. I always figured this building was full of offices, so I never even bothered coming in here."

The waiter returned and they ordered their food. Zack ordered a 14 oz steak, while Brooke ordered olive oil poached sea bass. He took their menus and walked away.

"So, how do you like Detroit so far?" Brooke asked.

"It's different from Long Island," He replied. He shrugged and smiled. "But that's just because we're in Michigan, not New York."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He laughed. "I just meant that Detroit gives off a whole different kind of vibe than Long Island, and New York in general."

She nodded. "Yeah. I've been to New York. That place is _huge_. I thought Detroit was big, but New York is definitely bigger."

Brooke and Zack continued talking, and eventually their food came. As they ate, it became quiet, but they maintained small talk. When they finished eating, they began talking as they waited for their waiter to return.

"You know," Brooke said. "This place was great and all, but I just really want some ice cream."

Zack laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"They don't have any here," She said. She smiled. "There's a Baskin-Robbins down the street, though."

Zack just grinned because their waiter arrived with the check. He walked away, probably to another table.

Brooke glanced at the check in his hand. He noticed and said, "Don't even think about it."

"But – "

"No," He interrupted. "I asked you on this date, Brooke, which means I pay for it."

She frowned. "Fine…"

"I'm glad you see it my way," Zack said, looking at the check. He pulled out his wallet.

"Can I pay for the ice cream?" She asked. He glanced at her. "Please? It won't be more than ten dollars. I think I can handle that."

"But – "

"Also, it's not even technically a date anymore once we get there," She said. "It's a post-date."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "A post-date?"

"Yeah," She replied. "This was the date. Now that we're about to leave, it won't be the date anymore. When we get to Baskin-Robbins, it'll be the post-date."

He just smiled. "You can pay for the ice cream, Brooke."

"Yay!" She said, smiling.

The waiter returned, taking the check from Zack. He looked back at Brooke.

"I've never heard of a post-date before," He said.

She shrugs. "That's because it's something I made up."

He just laughed, and she smiled at him.

The waiter came back, giving Zack back his credit card. As he walked away, Zack and Brooke stood up and began leaving. They got on the elevator and began making their way back down the 72 floors of the building.

"You never ordered any wine," Zack realized.

She shrugged. "I don't drink."

"Why'd you say you might order some then?" He asked, confused.

"I didn't want to be rude," She said. "You were so excited about the wine, but I just don't drink."

 _"Jace drank a lot when we were together," Brooke confessed. "I only drank a little before we started dating, but after that, I stopped. I didn't like him when he was drunk, and I didn't want to end up like him."_

"Fair enough," Zack said.

"Plus, I didn't know if you were going to drink," She said. "And I wanted to make sure at least one of us was sober enough to drive."

"You're always thinking ahead, aren't you?" He asked, smiling.

"It's just something I do," She said, shrugging.

The elevator made it to the bottom floor and they got off. They walked outside and found Zack's car. Once again, he opened the door for her, and she got inside. Once he got inside, he started the car and began driving.

They reached Baskin-Robbins and got out of the car. They went up to the counter and ordered their ice cream. Brooke got mint chocolate chip, while Zack got rocky road.

It was nice outside, so they went out there and ate their ice cream.

"I have an idea," Zack said.

Brooke looked at him, confused. "What?"

"We could combine our ice creams and make the ultimate ice cream flavor," He said.

"No, thank you," She said, slowly moving her ice cream away from him.

"Oh, come on," He pleaded.

"I don't like chocolate ice cream," She said. "And I will not have you contaminating mine."

"Why don't you like chocolate ice cream?"

"It just doesn't taste right," She said, shrugging. "It doesn't taste like actual chocolate."

"How?"

"I don't know," She said. "Science?"

"Brooke, that doesn't make any sense," He pointed out.

"You know what?" She asked. "Here." She scooped up some of her ice cream and put it in his.

He looked at her, but quickly looked back down and mixed his ice cream together.

"I swear, you're a little kid," Brook said, laughing.

He took a bite of his ice cream, and with his mouth full, said, "No, I'm not."

"You just proved my point."

He swallowed. "No. I am a grown man."

"Who acts like a little kid."

"Well… I guess that's true," He said, and she laughed.

They continued eating their ice cream – Brooke with her mint chocolate chip, and Zack with his ultimate ice cream flavor – and talking. When they finished, they threw their stuff away and went back to the car. Zack drove them back to the hotel.

When they reached the hotel, Zack walked Brooke to her room. They stood outside it.

"Thank you so much for tonight," Brooke said, smiling.

"I should be thanking you," He said. "You helped me make the ultimate ice cream flavor. It was a good night."

She just rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm glad you liked your ice cream, Zack."

He paused. "You know when I said you looked amazing earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wrong." Brooke frowned. "You look absolutely stunning."

She blushed. "Thanks… again, I guess."

They both looked at each other in silence. Slowly, Zack leaned down, and his lips met Brooke's. The kiss was slow and sweet, and Brooke never wanted it to end. She could practically hear her heart beating in her chest, and she'd be surprised if he couldn't hear it. Jace had never made her feel like this: important and like she was the only girl in the world.

The kiss ended sooner than she'd hoped, but she didn't say anything. She just bit her bottom lip and blushed.

"So…" Zack said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Brooke."

"Good night, Zack."

* * *

 **Just so you know, I totally did research for this chapter by googling restaurants in Detroit. So, yes, the restaurant Zack and Brooke went to is real, and yes, it really is on the 72nd floor. Now, I don't know if there's actually a Baskin-Robbins down the road, but that's a different story. :P**


End file.
